Send "Kid Creole & The Coconuts " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 Of all the innovative artists tied to the downtown New York scene of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, August Darnell, aka Kid Creole of Kid Creole & the Coconuts, is one of the most overlooked and underrated. Songs such as “Endicott,” “Stool Pigeon,” and “I’m A Wonderful Thing, Baby” portray both Darnell’s commercial sensibilities and his gift for applying edgy flourishes to disco, funk, calypso, and myriad other genres. His ties with “mutant disco” label ZE Records ply him with an enviable amount of cred, and the level of theatricality he and the Coconuts brought to the scene is as refreshing as it is enjoyable. Enlisting Hercules & Love Affair’s Andy Butler to co-compose and co-produce latest release I Wake Up Screaming reveals that, in a time when he could easily be resting on his laurels, Darnell would rather prove his integrity is still vital.The album’s first two songs, “Stony and Cory” and “I Wake Up Screaming (In The Tropics)” are so strong that they threaten to be unmatched by anything that follows, although I Wake Up Screaming offers much to love straight to the very end. “Stony and Cory” chronicles the true love story between Cory Daye and (Darnell’s late brother) Stony Browder of Darnell’s first major musical foray, Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band. The song’s chorus is filled with “Oh my Gods” and coos of “what a crazy story” yet abstains from giving too much away apart from basic facts in the song’s verses. In this way, Darnell honors the creative intelligence of the listener; this is tact employed by far too few artists nowadays. It also shows that Darnell’s Masters degree in English was not pursued in vain. Despite packing plenty of the multi-cultural elements that became Darnell’s signature, the song contains a few stylistic nods to Dr. Buzzard’s, a band that gained recognition through the song “Sunshower” (sampled by M.I.A., among others). “I Wake Up Screaming” takes pieces of “Ticket To The Tropics,” a song originally recorded by Darnell’s distaff Coconuts themselves, and reworks them into a classic Kid Creole plaint for booty. I Wake Up Screaming is at its most successful when going the lecherous and rousing route, although a few softer moments gleam as well. The strongest of these quieter showings is “Tudor-Jones,” a soul ballad dedicated to current head Coconut Eva Tudor-Jones. Kid Creole’s penchant for dipping in and out of genres is in fine form throughout the album, with funk, soul, an—of course—plenty of tropical flavors all making strong showings. Some rock guitar, in the aptly titled “We’re Rockin’ Out Tonight,” even makes an appearance. Butler’s presence is felt, albeit subtly. “I Do Believe” may be the most outright of his contributions, but it also contains lyrics like “You make my lips feel like a cornflake in a bowl,” a line that could only come from Darnell’s mind....full text |
| Flyglobalmusic |
| The Kid is back! Older, wiser but just as cool as he ever was even if he’s lost his Clark Gable pencil moustache! It was great to see Mr. Creole on the BBC1′s Breakfast couch this morning in all his finery, even if it was before 9am! If you were fan of Kid Creole and The Coconuts back in their magnificent prime with their big hits like ‘Annie I’m Not Your Daddy’, ‘Stool Pigeon’ and ‘I’m A Wonderful Thing Baby’ or even in their earlier incarnation of Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band (along with Coati Mundi and hits like ‘Sunshower’ and ‘Cherchez La Femme’), the thought of a brand new 2011 album by Kid Creole And The Coconuts is something to either fear or go mental over. Well I’m pleased to report that August Darnell (aka Kid Creole) and his new Coconuts (snigger away) is on top form with I Wake Up Screaming. With a B-Movie golden age Latin shuffle style that he nailed in the 80s, each track finds every one on top form; especially as that ‘everyone’ includes co-compositions and co-productions with Andy Butler of Hercules & Love Affair and the album was mixed by Brennan Green (Chinatown Records and friend of Tim Sweeney) and Lars Nissen (Denmark). If you think this is too good to be true, the disco-bounce-space boogie of ‘I Believe’ is an instant smash and was the early choice of a single with remixes by nu-disco pioneers Faze Action, DC Recording’s Emperor Machine and 40 Thieves. The style of Kid Creole was as much about the show as the music and you can’t get much more theatrical than ‘Long Live The King’ that is grandiosity pomp that Adam Ant would approve of (Ant being another 80s icon that can’t lay down but whether his latest return this year will match the acclaim of Darnell and Co is another matter). ‘Long Live The King’ has got marching drums, horns, chorus chant, exaggerated guitar solo and some sort of harpsichord in the mix and it’s a real ‘plays that again’ track. And whilst we’re on the back to the future vibe, ‘Verily, Verily, Verily’ harks back to the rhythmic roots of his 80s hits with a hilarious the crème brulee couplet; expect to hear this one drop on ‘Come Dine With Me’....full text |
| Music-news |
| August Darnell/Kid Creole has always been a master of a dark story delivered under the most danceable and light sounding music and I really wondered what he had to offer in his first album for 10 years. The answer is pretty much exactly what he is best at – if you don’t listen to his lyrics this is some of the most delicious Caribbean flavoured dance music and heartfelt balladeering in years. But if you listen to his lyrics you find little gems like the title track: his and hers stories about a tropical holiday – he wants it but she ain’t giving it and she wants a holiday without constant booty calls. This is NOT a happy tale. Every number is a story in its own right, no bland chest beating or regular love songs and the whole album is loaded with some superb playing. This is like a stage show where the ensemble each have their own tale to tell in a style all their own. I think that we have really missed Kid Creole – there really isn’t anyone who creates music that you can dance to and wince at the story at the same time. . This isn’t quite as good as his classic period of the ‘80’s but it comes close – essential....full text |
Kid Creole & The Coconuts lyrics
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